Patna: Adolescents who feel shy to talk about their physiological changes with their family or peers or those who are in need of counselling on sexual or mental health now have help at hand.
Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) opened a youth clinic at the urban health training centre in Shastri Nagar on Friday to address adolescent issues.
IGIMS director N.R. Biswas inaugurated the centre, which will initially have two experts from the community medicine department of the hospital. Later, it will have two counsellors. The State Health Society is training the counsellors now.
The head of the IGIMS community medicine department, Sanjay Kumar, said the youth clinic had come up under Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karkyakram of National Health Mission.
"Often, adolescents can't share about the changes in their body, which is due to hormones, with their friends and family. Apart from physiological changes, mental problems also occur owing to hormonal effects," said Sanjay adding that the clinic would run under his department.
"Youths get stressed and face other types of problems owing to this. The Centre will help adolescents deal with all these problems. The best thing is that youth clinic would provide free services."
Talking about the timing of the clinic, he added: "The clinic will run from Monday to Saturday, from 9am to 2pm Monday to Friday and from 9am to 1pm on Saturday," he added.
The youth clinic run by IGIMS will also deal with problems like drug addiction apart from addressing sexual, mental and nutritional issues of youths. They will also be provided pocket books on reproductive health and sexual behaviour that they might feel shy asking.
Moreover, it will also provide certain drugs free of cost. "De-worming medicine like Albendazole and contraceptives like Mala D among others will also be provided to youths free of cost at the clinic," added Sanjay.
Sashastra Seema Bal, on the other hand, began construction of a 20-bed tent for accommodation of patients' attendants at IGIMS on Friday. According to the hospital administration, the tent house will be ready in three days.
IAS Officers' Wives' Association also donated an e-rickshaw to the hospital to transport poor patients from the main gate to the hospital.
